Haghpat Monastery

Haghpat monastery was built in the 2nd half of the 10th century and was an important religious and cultural center in the 10-13th centuries. Haghpat monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The complex includes St.Nshan, St.Grigor, St. AStvatsatsin (Khatunashen) churches, gavit, Hamazasp's chapel, matenadaran (manuscript center), belfry, dining hall, sepulchre-chapels and cross-stones.
The oldest and the main church of St.Nshan was built in 976 by Khosrovanuysh queen for the wellbeing of her sons Gurgen and Smbat.
The name of the church – St.Nshan – that means Holy Sign is related to the relics of the cross that Christ was crucified on. A martyred nun, Hripsime, hid the relic in the Varaga mountains and later people were trying to find it. Day and night prayers were sent to God so he can show them a sign that would lead to the relic. One day a light came down to the praying monks and they saw that it was the image of the holy cross coming from very far. They followed the light and found its source and the relic in the Varaga mountains. Varaga Cross monastery was built on this site.
On the eastern wall of the church there is a replica of a high-relief sculpture from Sanahin. Gurgen and Smbat stand in front of each other and hold the model of the church.
When entering Haghpat monastery the first building is St.Grigor church built in 1025.
There is a legend that the first church, St.Grigor, was built by an offended student of Sanahin monastery master. According to the legend, the student getting angry with his master came to the monastery's area and started building a church. Noticing a construction on the opposite mountain, the master came to check what was going on and learnt that his apprentice was building a church. 'What are you doing?' asked the master. 'I'm building the wall of victory,' answered the student. The master replied, 'Don't forget that this is older than that!' or 'Sa nranic hin e – Sanahin e' in Armenian.
According to another legend, when the master saw a church being built from far away, he said, 'Akh pat' - meaning 'Oh wall' - which gave its name to Haghpat.
There is one more legend related to Haghpat's name. According to it, the monastery was called Haghpad which means the one hating evil. Where a church is built there is no place for evil.
Along the wall of St.Grigor church there is one foot length space, and openings are made inside the wall. According to a legend, those who can walk over the narrow wall holding from the openings will have their dreams come true. Many visitors coming to the monastery try to conquer the narrow wall, believing in their dreams.
St.Astvatsatsin chapel is also famous as Khatunashen. On the western wall there are various sculptures and geometrical ornaments including the eternity sign and small cross-stones decorated with tree of life symbols by its sides.
Hamazasp's chapel or gavit dates back to 1257. A scriptorium stands next to its eastern wall. An altar with a low ambon was built deep in the chapel. A famous gusan (similar to minstrel) Sayat-Nova served here as the monastery's sacristan in 1775-1795. He was responsible for the discipline and order of the daily ceremonies. He wrote religious materials and preached here. His famous words are, 'I am Sayat-Nova of Haghat, but I don't have oil to light a lamp.'
There is a legend around Sayat-Nova living at Hamazasp chapel. According to it, a secret passage went from gusan's cell to outside where he would meet with his lover Anna, the daughter of the Georgian king. Clerics, however, decline this story.
The dining hall (1248) could accommodate about 270 monks for a dinner. There are mills at the dining hall where wheat flour and flax oil were made.
At the entrance to the church, next to the gates, there was an underground passage that led to the riverside. The monastery was subject to numerous raids. Through the passageway people could escape, get help and bring water to the monastery in winters.
Matenadaran-scriptorium was largely important. Numerous manuscripts were kept here decorated with vordan karmir (red paint) and with miniature and animal paintings. Inside the building there were jugs and wooden shelves. In order to preserve parchments it was necessary to ensure certain level of humidity and for that reason the manuscripts were kept in the shelves while the underground jugs were used to store food.
Haghpat's belfry was one of the earliest to be constructed and one of the best preserved. It was built in 1245 with seven chapels inside two out of its three levels.
A small chapel 'Kusanac anapat' or 'Nuns' desert' (1250s) was built next to the cemetery to commemorate those nuns that went through the deserts.
The fortifications of the monastery date back to the 10-11th centuries. In the 13-16th centuries the monastery was being regularly attacked. The defense walls were reconstructed using the original materials – cyclopean stones, quartz from black and red tuff, and lime concrete.

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